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Social problem solving: A moderator of the relation between negative life stress and depression symptoms in children

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Abstract

The social problem-solving skill of generating effective alternative solutions was tested as a moderator of the relation between negative life stress and depressed mood in children. Boys ( n= 25) and girls ( n= 25), ages 8 to 12 years, from inner-city, lower socioeconomic group families, completed measures of depression symptoms, negative impact of life events, and quantity and effectiveness of alternative solutions to social problems. Results indicated that the effectiveness of alternative solutions children generate in response to peer social problems moderates the relation between stress and depression. Children who experienced a high impact of negative life events, with less effective social problem-solving skills, reported higher levels of depression compared to children who experienced a high impact of negative life events but exhibited more effective social problem-solving skills. Results are discussed in terms of alternative theoretical models for the mechanisms whereby effective social problem-solving skills moderate stress-related depression.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Emory University, 30322, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Sherryl H. Goodman

  2. Fort Lewis College, 81301, Durango, Colorado, USA

    Gwendell W. Gravitt Jr.

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 30322, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Nadine J. Kaslow

Authors
  1. Sherryl H. Goodman
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  2. Gwendell W. Gravitt Jr.
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  3. Nadine J. Kaslow
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Additional information

The research was completed while the second author was an honors student in the Department of Psychology at Emory University. We appreciate the work of Bill Barfoot in coding and assessing reliability, Julie Johnson and Colleen Byrne in the development of the project and review of an early version of the manuscript, and Clayton Hilmert and Ellison Designs in the final preparation of the manuscript. We appreciate the cooperation of the staff at Grady Memorial Hospital and the nursing staff and head nurse Eady Awbury in the Pediatric Emergency Clinic at Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital of Grady Health System. Helpful feedback on the findings was received from Drs. Mary Krueger and Patti Owen-Smith of Emory University.

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Goodman, S.H., Gravitt, G.W. & Kaslow, N.J. Social problem solving: A moderator of the relation between negative life stress and depression symptoms in children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 23, 473–485 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01447209

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